


Dolls and Playthings

by Longcat



Category: Original Work, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: BearHawk and Lore, Dolls, Kidnapping, Pain, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-19 03:18:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13114881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Longcat/pseuds/Longcat
Summary: Denshou finds himself kidnapped by a villain working with the League of Villains who just wants information about UA and the students. She has her ways of getting info.Primarily OCs.Lore and Bearhawk in BNHA-verse





	Dolls and Playthings

Denshou tossed the small metal box against the bookshelf out of anger, it fell away empty. His hands were shaking as he brought them up to his face, he was out and the craving was bad this time. School had been busy and now his little brother was living with him so it had been awhile since he was able to see one of the dealers that didn't ask questions. But now here he was, with an empty tin where he kept a mix of drugs, and didn't think anyone who could help him would be around. Only good thing was that Torikuma was at a friend's for the night.

 

Growling in frustration, he swiped his keys from of the counter, double checked his appearance before walking out and slamming the door behind him. He had since changed out of the gear he wore to work, leaving anything that made him look remotely like a hero in the apartment, not that he actually was a real hero. Now he was stalking the back alleys near the apartment trying not to attract the attention of underground heroes. The last thing he needed was a coworker finding out about his habit. 

 

Denshou caught sight of a familiar face at the end of one alley. Sighing in relief he slowed his frantic pace down as he approached the individual. Remembering this particular dealer he made sure that he switched into Chinese. 

 

“Hey, you still carry?” the question caused the dealer to spin around to face him. Recognizing Denshou he broke out into a smile and grabbed his hand in a friendly handshake. 

 

“Yeah man, still the same request? Haven't seen you in a while.” The exchange took place in Chinese but for Denshou everything sounded the same. His quirk made it so he understood everything spoken, it was also the reason he had started taking drugs. Anything to dull his quirk so he could learn to speak the languages he could intrinsically understand.

 

“My kid brother moved in, he doesn't know about this. And yes same thing.” He didn't like giving out personal details to his dealers, so he kept the conversation as brief as possible. Pulling out a wad of cash for the exchange he hoped for this to go quickly. The longer the deal took the higher the chance someone like Eraserhead would spot it.

 

“You still at that school?” his dealer asked as they swapped a bag of multicolored pills for the money. The question caught Denshou off guard, he didn't share that he worked at UA, it usually caused dealers to refuse sales. He wasn't one of the pro-heros that taught either, he was an unknown and was fine with that.

 

“I, I don't know what you're talking about.” He tucked the bag into his pocket and backed up. Things were starting to feel uncomfortable and not just because he knew he could fix the craves. Denshou wanted to get back to his apartment as quickly as he could, there was something off and it wasn't anxiety stepping in. 

 

“I'll see you later, Lore.” The dealer smiled as Denshou disappeared around the alley corner. Quickly sending a text before melting into the crowd.

 

He didn't run into anyone on the trip back to his apartment, but he still felt like he was being watched. Occasionally he looked up to rooftops and fire escapes to see if it was any hero he knew. There was never anyone when he looked, but the feeling didn't leave him. He tried to convince himself that his jumpiness was due in combination to him having drugs and wanting them. Rattling his keys as he took the steps up to his apartment he felt like he had made it safely back. Swinging the door open he was met with a heavy object swung at his head, knocking him out.

 

He woke back up in a dark room with wood paneling, his body tied down to a chair. A chair sat opposite him with a large floppy humanoid figure, he couldn't quite make out the details. His glasses had either been removed or broken when he was jumped. Where was he and why was he targeted? 

 

Footsteps sounded on hard floors, a mumbled voice accompanied them as whoever had captured him entered the room. Denshou tensed up, unsure of what was going to happen, he knew he was trapped and wouldn’t be able to fight his way out of this. He was quirkless as far as combat was concerned. 

 

“He just came to.” A confident and polite voice came from an area of the room that had a bit more color in it, without his glasses he hadn’t even seen the person. Denshou startled at the revelation that he hadn’t been alone, who ever took him had team members and this was an orchestrated event.  

 

“That’s perfect! Thank you Kurogiri-san, first session might not provide everything we want. Tomura-san won’t be too happy with that, but lucky for us he was able to secure us a play toy that won’t be missed right away.” A bubbly and playful voice responded before moving closer to their captive. A young girl in a very lolita styled dress came into focus, bubblegum pink hair and a sweet smile greeted him. “Hello! You’re going to be my new friend!”

 

She booped him on his nose with a giggle, spinning on the heels of her shoes she bounced over to the other seat. Denshou was finally able to make out that the figure sitting across from him was a limp doll. Fear gripped his stomach as he felt his mind starting to float as if being separated from his body. He blacked out for a moment and his vision came back sharper, as if his glasses had been returned. 

 

“Ooo, goodie! This one switched quickly! That gives me more time to play.” Her face was really close to his and he could see the petite features flush in joy. It took her leaning back and turning quickly to address the other person for him to be able to see to room better. His own body was sitting across from him, panic set in as he was able to see himself. Unable to turn his head or move his eyes, he couldn’t see the rest of the room to get any other details. He was trapped outside of his own body. 

 

“Kyogi, as per your requests Tama has been sent out on a reconnaissance mission at the UA campus, given that she doesn’t get distracted we should hear about any word of a rescue for one of their own. I do not need to remind you of the risks you are taking in this endeavor?” There was something about the polite voice that was familiar to Denshou, he had heard it somewhere before, but where? 

 

“Of course! It’s more fun to play with toys when they play back, so I couldn’t get anything done until he woke. I’m sorry this one was so weak that it was out for several hours. I’ll do my best to get what we want as quickly as I can.” The female, Kiyogi as the other addressed her, bounced  on her feet in excitement. He could hear her clap her hands together before pulling metallic things out of something, it was difficult to tell exactly what when he couldn’t see. “Rorenu Kouzoku? I’m gonna ask you some questions, and I expect you to give me answers. Play along and the game goes quick, refuse to play and I get to hurt you. First test is, seeing if you can still talk!” 

 

He was frustrated and confused, this person knew his actual name, a name that only existed on the most official of papers. He had gone by Denshou in everything for decades now, so he had no idea how these people had gotten that. More so he was terrified as to what she meant and what was going to happen to him. Metal flashed into his vision as a long thin knife came up in front of his vision. It wasn’t in front of his face, because his face was on his body sitting across from him. He felt the blade slip between his lips, snagging on what felt like strings.

 

“Let’s try simple first. What’s your name?” 

 

“What’s going on? What have you done to me?” his voice came from the lifeless body sitting across from him, it was surreal to see himself talking.  _ It's just like a mirror, it's like watching a mirror, just a mirror. _ He repeated to himself in effort to not freak out. 

 

“Not the answer I was looking for. I have to reinforce the rules of the game now.” The blade slipped between where his shoulder and collar bone would be if he wasn't trapped inside of a large doll. There was no resistance as his current body was made of stuffing and cloth but the pain was excruciating causing him to scream. “Let's try again, name?”

 

“D-D-Denshou. Denshou Kouzoku. I don't go by the other name.” He would have gritted his teeth if he had any, the blade slid back out, white stuffing puffing out of the wound. The pain was already near his threshold, white lights flashed behind his vision. 

 

“That's not so hard now is it? Let's try for a harder one.” She ran the tip of the blade down the side of his face, it occasionally caught on the rough fabric. The sensation was as if rose thorns were being dragged over his skin. He whimpered and wished he could close his eyes. “Where do you work?”

 

These were obviously villains and they knew about him, this had to be another dummy question. He knew he was taking his time to answer it as he tried to put together the puzzle pieces that they had given him together. The male voice, Kurogiri, was familiar. He had mentioned a Tama, and there was mention of a Tomura. These names were also familiar. 

 

“You're taking too long.” She sing-songed before sliding the knife up between where his finger and thumb connected. He could feel muscles being sliced and tendons catching on something before being snapped. All of these phantom pains feeling as real as if she was taking the blade to his actual body. “Do I have to remind you that you're a teacher at UA?”

 

Through the pain fog, he made the connection. He had been taken by the League of Villains, and they were questioning him. Torturing him for information on whatever they wanted to know. He couldn't give them anything. The faces of his students flashed through his mind, there were so many promising students who were just kids. The final face was that of his kid brother, Torikuma, the one person he couldn't fail. He knew he needed to do everything he could to make himself seem more useless than he was.. He could see tears tracking down his own face sitting across from him.

 

“YES!! Yes, I'm sorry. Yes, I'm a teacher.” He choked out through sobs. The pain lighting up like fireworks in his mind. His hand felt like it had been flayed apart and was going to be useless, he would lose the ability to sign and a way to communicate if the damage was also done to his actual body. He didn’t understand this villain’s quirk, but it was terrifying enough for his mind to be trapped. He had to give something to put an end to the pain but he couldn’t give them anything useful.  “I teach English to the business department. I'm not a hero, I’m just a teacher. What do you want with me? Why me!?”

 

“I never said you could ask questions. You're bad at playing along, the rules were simple and you keep breaking them.” Kiyogi frowned as she leaned over with the knife, bringing it up close to his eye. The light glinted off the clean edge dangerously, the lack of blood was something that he noticed despite the injuries inflicted. 

 

The point was pressed right up under Denshou’s eye, the cool metal resting on his cheek. That was all the warning he got before the screams escaping his body sounded foreign and the pain sharply bit into his psyche. His vision in one eye went black, the other seeing the large button held delicately between small fingers as Kiyogi’s smile stretched past her painted lips to where drawn cross-stitch pattern covered scars. Screams broke down into sobs as the pain changed from searing white-hot to a burning coal feeling. 

 

“Denshou, my newest friend, we’re going to have so much fun. This game is easy, I’ll explain it one more time.” She winked and smiled as she rolled the button across her knuckles. “I ask questions. You give answers. It’s really that easy. Tell me more about the students, how many of them have top tier quirks?”

 

“No.” He grunted the word out, staring at her with his one good eye. The pain was intense but he wouldn’t betray the safety of the kids. “No, I won’t give you what you want. AAAHHHHH!!!” Another scream was ripped out of him as the knife was driven into the plush stomach.

 

“Let’s try again. With the third years first. How many of them hold top tier quirks?” She jerked the knife out with a twist. There was a touch of annoyance to the sweet tone of her voice, Denshou held onto that. 

 

“Watch the Sports Festival. That should give you the answer you’re looking for.” He could play vague, giving them half answers. He was a teacher, he had heard them all and could probably count it as one of the many languages he spoke. 

 

“Fair enough, but not the answer we were looking for.” A bead of sweat trickled down from her temple. The blade of the knife bit into the webbing between his fingers on the other hand. It felt like she was slowly peeling his skin back, exposing bones and connective tissue. She was trying to break him, to get him to speak. “What are the weaknesses of the ‘Big Three’.”

 

“Nejire-chan still has issues conjugating tenses in English and mixes past perfect with past progressive all the time.” He was a teacher with the English department, he didn’t do anything involving heroics. While he might have had the information they wanted he could give other information that was far less useful. His vision went out completely as a sharp pain slammed into the back of his head. It was the worst headache he had ever experienced, the feeling of the handle of the knife pressing into the bridge of his nose was uncomfortable but didn’t distract from the sharp, splitting pain behind his eye. 

 

He was terrified now that he was blind and both of his hands were shattered. Communication was the only skill he had for work, reading lips and signing were ways that he was able to get around his quirk, and they had just been torn from him. The pain was unbearable, and he was starting to go into shock from the pain and the fear. A slick feeling of the knife being removed from his eye socket set caused the pain to double, his mind lit up with the sharp white of the pain. 

 

“Denshou, one last question.” There was a tremble in her voice, from anger or exertion he couldn’t tell. However he was drifting in and out of consciousness from the pain and was having trouble hearing the full extent of the question. “The first year students are exceptional this year, if we can stop some of them before they become more of an issue, that will serve well. How do we get to them?”

 

“You can’t. They’re kids. They need to do kid things like field trips, the kiddos love field trips.” He mumbled his words as the pain started to seep into every aspect. The villain perked up a bit at what he had said though. 

 

“When is their next field trip?” She brought the knife to his sternum, the point just barely touching the burlap of the doll. A felt heart sewn in just to the left of the tip of the knife. 

 

“Field trip? I’m gonna have to sign the form before you go.” His speech was slurring and was answering the question he thought he heard. “Mic would have told me if there was. What’s really going on Torikuma? You can tell me, don’t make me call mom.” 

 

The knife carved lines across his chest, searing pain causing him to white out and lose consciousness. Kiyogi frowned as she plunged the blade up to the hilt in the felt heart. She could feel the mind slip out of the doll in her control, time was almost up anyways, and he wasn't coherently answering the questions anyways. Dragging the doll off the chair and out of the room she made her exit. Kurogiri was left to watch their unconscious captive, they didn’t really get any good information from him, but Kiyogi insured her skills.

 

~~~~

 

Torikuma landed with a soft thud on the balcony of the apartment he shared with his brother. Folding and tucking his wings against his back he unlocked the door and stepped inside ready to crawl into his nest and sleep the rest of the day. Instead of getting the welcome home and line of usual questions when he got in the apartment was quiet, Denshou hadn’t texted him with any change of plans. His brother should be home, shooting a text out he heard the simple ringtone coming from past the living room. Spotting the open front door his feathers picked up in a nervous ruffle making him look bigger, the phone was on the ground along with one of his own cast iron pans and a broken pair of thick-rimmed glasses. 

 

Letting out a loud wail he fell to his knees, tears bubbling up in his eyes. His worst fear had come true, his brother had gotten hurt and he wasn’t there to help defend him. Torikuma’s crying alerted neighbors who poked their heads out into the shared hallway. A few mumbled to each other about the kid, one pushed out of their own apartment and approached the child. Resting a hand on the thick fur of his head, she got his attention. 

 

“Hey kid, anyone we can call to help you?” 

 

Torikuma clumsily attempted to use sign language to communicate, and just grew frustrated with his fat paw hands. She picked up the phone that sat not to far from him and placed it in his paws. He started to text out what he wanted to say between grumbles and cries. Then it dawned on him that this wasn't his phone, it was Denshou's. Denshou had the contacts of several pro-heros programmed in his phone. Torikuma's wings picked up and wrapped the lady up in them before he set about sending a group text. 

 

[I need hero help! Denshou is missing ;^; broken glasses and phone left at broken in apartment. Please? •∆•]  hitting send Torikuma  went back into the apartment, making sure to keep his wings up to prevent messing with any evidence. Rubbing the tears out of his fur he opened the fridge and started to pull out different things, setting them up on the counter. The first text back came as he was dragging his step stool to there he could start mixing. 

 

[Torikuma? Stay put, Eraser and myself will be there soon. ~Be Good my Dear Listener!]  After reading the text he wasn't sure if he wanted to cry or break something, so he went back to mixing ingredients together to make pasta. It was something that didn't require thinking and kneading the dough took physical effort. He didn't want to think about what happened or what could be happening. Having zoned out while kneading he didn't hear the soft knock at the door. 

 

“Kouzoku?” An unfamiliar voice pulled him back, startling him. Turning to face the source he saw an officer standing just inside the apartment. “We got a call regarding a break in. We'd like to ask you a couple questions.” 

 

“Sweeeeekikiki.” He expressed a long whistle and a chitter, the tone was sad but otherwise his words were lost on the officer. 

 

“He needs a translator or something to write things down on. Present Mic is trying to get a call through to Nedzu for translation needs.” The calm and steady voice of Eraserhead interrupted whatever the officer was going to say next. Torikuma was incredibly relieved to hear a familiar and friendly voice, it was enough for him to lose his composure he had been trying to hold together and he started crying again. 

 

“Graaawwwrah!!” He growled as he balled his hands into fists, his father's picking up and gliding out in agitation. He didn't want to cry, he wanted to be a hero and be there for those who needed it. But right now he was the one who needed help.

 

“You did the most logical thing, you don't know who took your brother or where. Knowing when to call for help is an important part of being a hero.” Even if Aizawa couldn't understand what he was saying he knew what would have bothered him in his place. Reassuring him that he had done the best thing he could have was all he could do with the communication barrier.

 

“Torikuma, I found your white board and Principal Nedzu said he would be on his way to the precinct, he's also willing to keep you at his house until this is sorted out, or until your parents can pick you up. I think he loves pasta too.” Present Mic had been subject to the results of Torikuma's bad days before. The first time seven dozen cookies were brought into the station by one of the production managers, Papa Bear Kouzoku, he had thought it was Harpy who had cooked them up, only to find out it was their younger son. If cooking would help this future hero stay calm and not rush headfirst into an uninformed rescue mission, Mic was all for the distraction. 

 

Words were scribbled on the board before the board was thrust into the officer's hands and Torikuma stepped up and wrapped his dough in a cloth. He was ready to go to the station with them now. 

 

[Find my brother, he's basically quirkless.]

 

~~~

 

“Wakey wakey my best friend!” A soft slap across his face brought Denshou back. First thing he noticed as he blinked his eyes open was that he could see. Well see about as well as he could without glasses. Flexing his hands he found he had full range of motion and no pain. 

 

His bright and bouncy captor smiled at him, a small round hammer tucked behind her back but not hidden from sight. It was on purpose especially when he saw the new doll sitting across from him. This one sat up stiffer than the rag doll he had been subjected to last time. She watched as the confusion broke into fear as he recognized what laid in front of him. 

 

“No, please.” he begged, the words were soft, barely a whisper as she spun the hammer in her hands. The jointed doll sitting across stared blankly at him, mouth open lifelessly. 

 

“Ready for round two? Same rules apply!” Kiyogi brushed her fingers down his cheek and took his chin in her hand, tilting it up and forcing him to look at her. Dropping his face she crossed to the doll and picked up one of its arms and waved at him as his mind slipped out of his control again. 

 

“This is going to be when we get information. Now he knows that the pain will just keep coming with a handy re-set button! The cracks start to break wider.” She explained as they waited for the transfer to take completely and for him to come back. 

 

“You should hope so, we’ve got reports that at least two of the teachers were called into the scene of his apartment.” Kurogiri frowned, they wouldn’t have much time to get what they needed if the heroes were already on the case. At least they were in a throw away hideout on the off chance that their captive left their control and remembered anything. 

 

“Welcome back Denshou! First question is a test to see if you can talk.” She didn’t ask any question or wait for him to respond to anything, instead taking the hammer down on the left knee of the doll. A crack rang out and splintered across the wood.

 

A scream ripped from his own mouth and he was forced to watch from the confines of the doll he was trapped in. Pain throbbed in his knee, the feeling of something having shattered and small pieces of bone floating around itched through the fire. This was off to a bad start and the pain was incredible already. 

 

“First question! Where are the weaknesses in the school’s defenses?” Kiyogi waited until after his screams had died down a bit before asking her question. These ones were more important to their cause, knowing information about the students was just warm up. Teachers always had a weak spot for their charges. 

 

“I don’t know. I use the front gate.” He could feel his hand being held down and his fingers spread out but he was helpless to move. A hand turned his head so he could see exactly what was happening. The small hammer was brought up and quickly brought back down on the pinky finger, breaking it off in splinters. Feeling the pain and watching the wood crumble under the hammer was maddening, he knew he shouldn’t feel anything being trapped in a wooden ball-jointed doll. But just like the floppy doll, he felt everything that was being done. 

 

“Weak spots in the school defenses? You have nine more fingers and I have plenty more dolls, we can do this forever, Denshou-chan!” She tapped the hammer on another finger, the sensation of the more gentle touch still caused him to flinch. 

 

“Not underground. Can’t dig. Power Loader and Cementoss are too powerful.” Denshou didn’t know any weak points but he hoped that by telling them where some of the defensive strengths lay it might just spare him from having another finger broken in front of him.  

 

“We knew that much. We’re asking for weaknesses.” Kiyogi wasn’t letting him off easy and brought the hammer down breaking another two fingers. His screams died down into sobs after a little while, the pain never fully falling to the background as she tapped the head of her tool on the broken remains of one finger. Each tap sending another wave of pain up his arm and through his mind. 

 

“STOP!! I really don’t know!! Stop, please!” he screamed as she separated another finger out from the others, “I’m not included in on any of the school defence or safety meetings because my quirk isn’t of any use in those situations! The walls go all the way around, I think there’s some kind of air defence because even those who can fly, walk through the front gates like everyone else! Please don’t, please.”

 

“Ok. Since you are my very good friend and you did your best, I think we can move on to a different question.” She patted the side of the doll’s face turning it to face forward once again, Denshou wished he could pull away from her touch. “Where are the controls for the wall security located?”

 

“I’m just a language teacher, I don’t get involved in school security. I don’t know!” The hammer came down in three quick motions, shattering the finger at each knuckle. She pushed her finger into the side of the doll’s eyes, the pressure keeping him from passing out on her. He could feel her manicured nails digging into his socket, providing a small distraction from his hands.

 

“Stay with me, you’re my friend, right? Friends don’t keep secrets from each other.” Although the tone was sweet and child-like, he couldn’t help but feel it as a threat. He was trapped with a villain who was willing to break him for information, and he didn’t know if he would be rescued. “Where. Are. The. Controls?” 

 

“I don’t know… I don’t.” He sobbed. She raised the hammer up again and he started to beg, giving any information to stop the hits from coming. One of his hands was mangled beyond recognition and the pain was eating at his bones. He wanted it to stop, to get a break from the onslaught of pain. “Probably in the principal’s office. Please stop, let me go. I don’t know. I’m not any help to you, I really don’t know the things you keep asking.”

 

“You are not useless Denshou. You’re my friend, and my friends are always helpful. Where do the other heroes live?”

 

“I keep telling you I don’t know. Some have taken to living at the school to keep an eye on the kids. We never do more than get together for drinks or karaoke.” He lied, he didn’t want to tell them anything more. He was already ashamed for what he had given away out of not wanting to get hurt further. Pain lit up inside his mind like a christmas tree, throbbing pain alerting him to another broken finger. His screams echoed off the walls, and the rhythmic tapping of the metal on the back of his hand. A reminder that she still had more to break, even after all the fingers were exhausted there would be more to break. 

 

“I don’t believe you. Stop lying to me, I don’t like it when friends lie to me.”

 

“Ectoplasm and Present Mic like to meet up at the karaoke bar near that noodle bar where the chef tosses the noodles into the pot from across the room. I’ve gone with them a couple times, usually on thursdays. The bar has a whiskey special that day!” He was giving out information now, still not what was being asked from him, but anything to delay the pain. “Some of the teachers from the science department occasionally get together for mini-golf. Thirteen tried to get other departments included but the physics teachers wouldn’t stop mumbling about math and trajectories. Me and my brother left early, he had a test the next day. I have a kid brother, I can’t go visit my friends outside of work for long periods of time. I always meet them at a bar or something. Please, I can’t answer your question. Please just, let me go.”

 

“You keep avoiding my questions, I’m starting to think you don’t like me Denshou.” She pouted, batting her eyes a few times before she leaned down to where her bag was laying on the floor. Looking through it she replaced the hammer and pulled out a small fire extinguisher which she placed in his lap before returning to search the bag.“I thought you were my friend. If you’re not my friend, that makes me sad because that means I don’t have to be kind to you.”

 

Standing up straight she showed him exactly what she had been looking for. The rhythmic clicking of an ignitor drew his attention to the birth of a small flame at the end of a nozzle. Kiyogi had a small flamethrower in her hands and a twisted smile that stretched the scars at the edges of her mouth. 

 

“This doll is made of wood, it will burn longer and hotter than the last one I had you in. Since you’re not my friend I don’t have to worry about hurting you anymore. New rules to the game. I’m going to set you on fire. And put you out. Only to set you on fire,again and again. The pain will be like nothing you’ve experienced yet, and it will be in my control. We want to know the best way to split up the faculty.”

 

“No. no, no, no. nonononooo.” Denshou couldn’t move as the fire got closer and closer to him.  His left leg was the first thing to feel the heat and pain, his own mind supplied him with the smell of burning flesh. “The kids! The kids are our biggest weak spot!!”

 

She pulled the trigger on the extinguisher, putting out the fire. He could still feel the smoldering of coals deep in his leg where they threatened to spark ablaze again. 

 

“You know this already. But we would do anything for the safety of the kids. Even I would try to go to their rescue if it came to it. Split up the kids and the teachers will split up to rescue them. We would do anything for them.” He hoped it would be enough to keep himself from reliving the pain he had been put through. But with a look at Kiyogi he knew it wouldn’t be. 

 

Unsatisfied with the answer she aimed the flamethrower at him again and re-lit the fires. He couldn’t do anything other than scream at the pain, the smoke clung to him and sparks drifted up threatening to catch other parts of him on fire as well. The smoke! Through the pain an idea came to him, if he could stay conscious enough and endure the pain of being burned alive, maybe the smoke would be thick enough to be seen from outside. Or maybe this time the pain would kill him and he wouldn’t have to go through it again.

 

“Hnnnnggg.” 

 

“What was that?” Kiyogi asked, putting the flames out again, a large puff of smoke and steam accompanying it. She leaned in close to the face and studied it as if the wooden features would reveal any emotions or thoughts. “Did you say something.”

 

“Yeah, you can bite my splintery ass.” If he could move his face he would have smiled as she blasted him again with the flamethrower. Each time she used it, a cloud of black smoke was produced from the device, adding to the light grey smoke he was giving off. The ceiling of the room was thick with smoke and it was only building up. He could feel the burn in his lungs with each breath. His vision starting to fade between the lack of oxygen and the agonizing pain. 

 

“Kiyogi. I think we have gotten adequate information from this one given the circumstances. He’s not a pro-hero nor is he part of the security council for UA.” Kurogiri piped in. He had been listening to the exchange of information while keeping and eye on things. They really had gotten results just as she had promised, but they could have benefitted from a different target. 

 

“Awww. But I still had one more doll to play with. Porcelain is so pretty when it’s shattered.” 

 

“You are starting to attract attention by playing with fire, Miss. Heroes will be here any moment.” He opened a warp gate and motioned to her as the fire began to spread to the floor and ceiling. 

 

“Very well.” She bounced over to the doll, avoiding catching on fire herself, and winked at him. “We’ll play again Denshou. I have so much more I want to ask you.” 

 

They left him alone, trapped in the body of a wooden doll, while he burned alive and the room burned around him. Denshou could only watch as the flames danced closer and closer to his actual body, sitting prone and bound to the chair across from him. The white pain etched into his bones as the heat boiled a resin pocket to the point where one of the doll’s legs exploded sending wooden shrapnel through the air. He finally blacked out from the pain and the smoke.

 

~~~

 

Backdraft was busy directing fire trucks on the scene while other heroes took point on crowd control. Present Mic and Nedzu had been unable to keep Torikuma from flying to the place where they got word that Denshou might have been held. Now the Voice Hero had his student in a bearhug, large feathered wings trapped against his body to prevent them from flapping and knocking them both over. Two bodies were pulled from the dying flames, one was burnt and crumbling in the hands of the hero who held it. The other was being rushed to the emergency vehicles for treatment. A quick jerky movement saw Torikuma released and running to the side of his brother, Mic coughed back tears as he tried to remove his directional speaker. 

 

“Did he crack your speaker with his head?” Eraserhead asked, having finished sweeping the surrounding buildings for any signs of villains. He got a thumbs up as his friend continued to cough and rub at his throat. “No one else was in the building, just him and that doll. The Principal will want to talk about this event as soon as he recovers.”

 

“If he recovers, we don’t know what they did to him yet.” Nedzu piped up, having moved through the crowd to be at the sides of his teachers. “I think I heard one of the detectives saying something about a villain named Doll who has some kind of mind quirk. So while he may not have any physical damage, any psychological attacks will take time to heal over. Present Mic, I suggest you split the classes he was teaching among the rest of your department until Recovery Girl has seen him fit to return. Now let’s go see our colleague and the young student.”

 


End file.
